Three dogs broke into a rabbit farm in a village in Zhejiang province and scared 600 rabbits to death.

Yan Fugen, owner of the farm in Haixin village, found about 1,000 rabbits had died after three dogs broke into the farm on Aug 7. He was surprised when he saw the nearly 600 rabbits that had died had no injuries on their bodies.

Chen Dongxiang, an expert with the local animal husbandry bureau, said the deaths were the result of the animals' stress response. When rabbits or other animals are scared by a severe noise or sudden surprise, their bodies secrete large amounts of adrenaline. Their sympathetic nervous system also enter into a state of excitation, causing their hearts to beat fast and their organs to function improperly. That can lead to death.

Chen said pheasants, like rabbits, can also be scared to death.

(Qianjiang Evening News)